Instant Story

Challenge #02373-F183: The Human Paradox

An alien publishes his work on "The human paradox", the fact that the universe is a more safer place since the most deadliest species are everywhere. -- Hyorky

Humans are a paradox, Grax wrote in hir treatise. They are simultaneously the bravest and the most cowardly, the most generous and the most miserly, the most sensible and the most insane. As Deathworlders, they should also be the most hazardous species in the Galactic Alliance, but, as we all know, Alliance space has never been safer since they have been welcomed among us.

Admittedly, there is what the Humans call 'collateral damage', but most such incidents harm the Human involved rather than any friendlies in the vicinity[1]. That is, of course, when they aren't directly harming a confirmed enemy. These pack-bonding mammals are known to cause great devastation in their wakes, yet are also capable of great creativity.

For all their lack of genetic diversity[2], humans manage to embody a vast array of psychological differences. Their personalities have varies instead of their genetic profiles. This, in turn, has lead to the conclusion that Humans are insane. As individuals, they can exhibit some aberrant behaviours if viewed through an egocentric lens. As a group... the species-wide insanity seems increasingly more evident. The fact remains that most of this seeming insanity makes sense to the Humans.

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Challenge #02372-F182: The Marvellous Six

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Q3i5w6-Ug

(Also, Why isn't this a legit anime!!!!) -- Anon Guest

[AN: Well, I made it 181 days without using anyone else's IP. Can't get any money from the anthology of this year now. Sigh. Oh well. Totes worth it for this one]

Reach for the stars, Yukanna... Their power is our power. If you can feel them... you will never fail. Grandfather had said that, when he had taken Yukanna to see the ribbon lights

Challenge #02371-F181: Colour-coded For Inconvenience

"Don't touch that, it's hot."

"It doesn't look hot."

"Hot things are red on Terra." -- Anon Guest

"Uh. Not exactly," said a nearby Human. "Not all red things are hot, and not all hot things are red. For your safety, check for radiant heat," they demonstrated, holding their hand above the surface and gradually approaching touching it until they pulled away. "This one is actually hot. See?"

The tourists huddled together a little. "That is how you test for heat on

Challenge #02370-F180: Stone Tools and Bear Skins

An alien crew hires a discount group of human bodyguards to protect them on an expedition to a heavily forested/jungled planet to research the planet life. Murphy's law happens and the alien crew find out they hired the human group that is , as a group, a hybrid of MacGyver, John Wick, and the the A-Team. -- Anon Guest

One of the launch seats, heavily charred, fell out of the tree with a solid thud. The Human who dislodged it had got

Challenge #02369-F179: A Big Choice

"You have a darkness in you, that’s all too clear. You can imagine yourself doing terrible things. But that's just your imagination. For all the looming intimidation factor, when you act, I can tell you still have standards... however few they may be... and there’s some lines I’m certain even you would refuse to cross."

"Hrmph... You can't know that for sure..."

"I feel it. I have faith in you. Maybe not to always do the right thing, but

Challenge #02368-F178: Culinary Explorers

An inter-species cooking class is very interesting to observe, and better to participate in. -- Anon Guest

Some people just never learn to cook. Why would they? Obtaining foodstuffs from vendors is easy and they then have more time to spend on other enjoyable pursuits. There are those who insist that cooking is a vital survival skill, and they are repeatedly ignored by those who plan on never having to survive like that. It is far cheaper, faster, and overall safer to

Challenge #02367-F177: Impossible Dreamers

If you think that "something" is impossible to do... Give it to humans and they will make it "possible" -- Anon Guest

Never tell a Human what's impossible. -- Galactic Alliance saying.

They had once said that travelling faster than light was impossible, just like time travel. Humans managed to find one-way wormholes, which utilised both, and then proceeded to use them to seed their colonies all over surprising corners of space. Humans, it seemed, accomplished six impossible things before teatime.

It

Challenge #02366-F176: Fight, Flight, or...

Fight or flight, the natural reactions to fear. Though, people don't mention one, freeze. People like to ignore that possibility because it tends to put them in danger. Unfortunately for them, it is real, it is dangerous, and it is terrifying if you happen to be the one experiencing it. -- Anon Guest

Most Humans can be relied upon to act quickly in an emergency. Most of them. Their presence in any place of inherent hazard is reassuring to anyone in field

Challenge #02365-F175: Motivational Inspiration

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYRH4apXDo -- Anon Guest

It was vaguely conical, and smaller than the most popular cars of the late Terran Twentieth Century. This was a vessel designed to get three Humans back to their planet after a long and perilous journey to truly hostile territory. There was just enough room for three Humans and all the samples they had gathered while they were up there.

What was more worrying was the landing craft for their missions to

Challenge #02364-F174: Deconstruct Reconstruct

With so many species coexisting, we must create new stories and nursery-rhymes. This is one such story. -- Anon Guest

Three blind Meiss, three blind Meiss/ See how they run, see how they run/ They all ran after the farmer's wife/ Who cut off their tails with a carving knife/ And violated the cogniscent rights/ Of three blind Meiss. -- one of many adjustments to Human nursery rhymes.

There are others. With integration comes a certain amount of cultural cross-pollination, so to

Challenge #02363-F173: The Ego Won't Be Landing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDs5Abg0M9A -- AmberFox

There is, in fact, a Starman waiting in the sky. He is not leaning back on his radio, as the song once said, but is seated comfortably in a red roadster, wearing a stylish spacesuit. He posed so that he could, with a glance, read the dashboard display that says, Don't Panic!

He does not say anything. He does not do anything. That's because he is, in fact, a dummy. An effigy of

Challenge #02362-F172: A Sundae on Foursday

First Contact should always be celebrated with Ice cream! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzgn0b67oIA -- Anon Guest

Humans are pretty good at interesting food. Their food-on-a-stick philosophy has solved, and started, many combats, mostly over who gets the last theobromine-free chocolate one. The introduction of popsicles to the Galactic Alliance blew many a mind. So, too, did Ice Cream.

A ready and easily consumed, portable cold treat of fats and sugars. Some blended to be certain that there were no

Challenge #02361-F171: Do You Remember?

It's your Old School celebrating a milestone. What happened to those you used to know, and how have they changed. Remember the Libel laws. -- Anon Guest

This used to be my playground... Ze had come from here, more or less. The society that dysfunctioned in these borders had done more to form hir than hir parents had. This used to be my hell. They hadn't understood, in decades prior what 'nonbinary' even was. As a result, they had tormented hir mercilessly.

Challenge #02360-F170: The Chances... Are a Million to One

Trip of a Lifetime, all the places they wanted to see, Jahn Average (choose sex) finds themselves the only "non-fan" in a Sci fi Fantasy group. They don't know the jokes, they wear the wrong clothes and why is everyone going to Grover's Mill. -- Anon Guest

There comes a moment when one realises that, at least metaphorically speaking, one has entered the wrong bus. "...and now we're - BANNED FROM ARGO, EV'RY OOOONNNNEEE..."

Pen had passed that point, but the sing-along

Challenge #02359-F169: Noisy Air

"What was that sound?"

"Oh, it was nothing. I'm just haven't gotten a chance to eat yet."

"Your body makes threat growls when it is hungry!?" -- Anon Guest

Working with Humans has its own hazards. The most common of which is encountering something the Humans consider normal, but the rest of known civilisation considers strange, new, or frightening. In turn, every species has their own unusual features, functions, or quirks that set them apart from everyone else. It's why the very

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Challenge #02373-F183: The Human Paradox

Challenge #02372-F182: The Marvellous Six

Challenge #02371-F181: Colour-coded For Inconvenience

Challenge #02370-F180: Stone Tools and Bear Skins

Challenge #02369-F179: A Big Choice

Challenge #02368-F178: Culinary Explorers

Challenge #02367-F177: Impossible Dreamers

Challenge #02366-F176: Fight, Flight, or...

Challenge #02365-F175: Motivational Inspiration

Challenge #02364-F174: Deconstruct Reconstruct

Challenge #02363-F173: The Ego Won't Be Landing

Challenge #02362-F172: A Sundae on Foursday

Challenge #02361-F171: Do You Remember?

Challenge #02360-F170: The Chances... Are a Million to One

Challenge #02359-F169: Noisy Air